OUTDOORS | Petworth House & Gardens

You may have started to notice from my recent posts that I love Sundays. More relaxed than a Saturday, it's my favourite day for a good walk followed by a rather delicious dinner and a glass or two of red.

This weekend is no exception. My husband and I joined his aunt and uncle for a walk (and a cuppa) in nearby Petworth Park. The house and gardens are owned by National Trust and well worth a visit if you're ever in the area.

We were lucky with the weather (yet again) as despite there being an autumn chill in the air and a patchwork of clouds, today was dry and largely sunny. The weather made the spectacular landscaped Pleasure Grounds surrounding the house even more beautiful.

Designed by the famous English landscape gardener, Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, in the 1750s and 1760s, the grounds and surrounding parklands are a wonderful mix of undulating hills, sweeps of turfed land, shady woodland and lakes. Perfectly designed to mimic nature, the grounds are the perfect place for a long - or short - walk and ideal for spotting Petworth's many deer.

You can read more about Capability Brown's naturalistic garden design and perhaps discover another of his beautiful gardens near you at http://www.capabilitybrown.org/news/site-week-petworth-park.